(NewsNation) — The World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency, but the risk for those living in the U.S. is low, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The infectious disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, has been classified as an epidemic in the U.S. since 2022.
“Our local epidemic is not from the strain that led to the WHO declaration of a public health emergency of international concern. At this time, the concern in Africa is due to increased reported cases of a more infectious strain, Clade 1 virus, which to date has been primarily seen in Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of the Congo,” said Dr. Kevin Dieckhaus, chief of the Health’s Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Connecticut.
The risk to most Americans from clade I mpox circulating in Central and Eastern Africa, and the travel-associated cases outside of Africa, is very low, and there are no known cases in the U.S. at this time. According to the CDC, the U.S. is well prepared to rapidly detect, contain and manage clade I cases should they occur domestically.
There have been over 14,000 cases of mpox and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceeds last year’s figures, according to the WHO. More than 96% of all cases and deaths are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mpox spreads between people mainly through sexual contact, but can also occasionally spread from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.
Common symptoms of mpox include a rash lasting for two to four weeks. This may start with or be followed by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands.